From the Audio Log of Jacob Bittering:
January 1, 2540 : There's talk of another war. I don't think anyone's taking it seriously though. There are just to many projects the goverment's got running to worry about some domestic dissputes of some third world colonies. Speaking of which, just this mourning I found an advertisement for Darwin IV. The first colonist are getting lonely it seems. Heh, Anna filled out a form. I think our chances of getting selected are better in the lottery. I don't know what she's thinking sometimes. Why would she even want to go there? She hates work.
February 2, 2551: BINGO. Yahtzee. Jumanji, ********. Of all the luck, we got selected. We were packed up as seconds after they announced the winners. We were on the ship that afternoon. We were put in stasis for eleven bloody years. I'm stiff as hell. I swear those things are too small, you're supposed to be 'asleep', right? Then why are they built more like coffins than beds? Boxes packed and stacked in nice orderly, uncomfortably steriel ailes. I slid in, and couldn't even put my arms to my side, I swear I hate traveling. Well, the next thing you know, I'm being slapped in the face by Darwin. Well, Darwin IV's winds. I wanna get back on the ship real bad like. Most of this planet is still desert after all.Okay, so the compound is nice. Like something out of a story book, long pastures and big thick trees, on the far west side is a ocean that's still being filled up by one of the teraforming machines.It'd be perfect if not for the four watch towers mounted with anti-aircraft weaponry. Are we expecting the martians to come kick us out? Oh yeah, there's a two story house with a porch and garage for everyone. After we we're assigned ours, and programed one of the droids to unpack for us we walked around town.
Jason pointed out that in somplaces the dirt is almost golden. Yeah, that's not weird. The dirt is a really weird mix of colors, Bronze to dark red, the grass we've got transplanted from earth doesn't seem to mind. So I guess I'll be okay too. One good-nah- great thing about it there's a free pub! Yeah, because we're in such early development, there's rations for just about everything. They gave us a little credit card that says how much of whatever we've been given. Heh, you only get about a pint a week. But get this, there's already a markeyt set up where people exchange their points, favors, and stuff to get change it up. You'd think that'd be illegal as hell right? But I saw a major and the base commander go in there, I peeked in really quick, there was leather seats and painting from all over and rugs and.. Well, it was damn nice. I asked the Major what he thought, you know just to needle him. He tells me, "We have to give ya' the crap, what you do with the junk is your choice. I figure it's better to have people tradeing out what they want than to let it rot in storage." He offered to get me a drink, I told him I'ds be back latter after the Misses and the boys we're in bed. When I got home, there was a small pile of things on my porch that needed to be fixed, curoeststy of our neighbors. But hey, I'm the electrician, so why not? I swearn there we're notes say 'I'll be by tomorrow to pick it up' Yeah, I think I'm going to head out now.
February 3, 2551: I met one of the first colonial doctors today. Turns out that there were so few colonist the first time, everyone had to pull double duties. A zoologist and a doctor. I thought the local beer just didn't agree with me. He said I was inhaling 'areophytes' microscopic animals were aggravating my throat. I wanted to ask him more questions, but he had to help my neighbor with his cows. Apparently, there's a fertility problem. He seemed nice enough, ugh, I've still go a bit of a hang over. I've still got work too, and, true to their word, some of the orginal colonist stopped by to pick up theoir stuff. They brought house warming gifts too. Boiled eggs from the farmer, all kinds of sweets and even a little wind chime that my wife fell in love with. I ythink my wife invited the two that gave it to us over again. Mr. and Mrs. Lee, or was it Ling? I'd better remember before they come over for dinner, other wise Anna will never let me live it down.
Febuary 4, 2551: Being an electrician means alot of time at the bench. I missed the dinner with Mrs and Mrs. Ling last night because of it. Anna dragged me from it tonight though, made me watch the sunset. It's insane. The sky was sulfer yellow bright orange and neon red. But the real show was the clouds. Those wispy little strings were every color of purple and blue imagenable. The wind is always whipping around,but this was the first time I liked it. The clouds kept danceing with the red-yellow light shineing through them. Made me think of those long bodied dragons, the chinesse ones? Wow, I mean. Wow. It was trippy. In a good way, ya' know?
February 29, 2551: What a way to wake up! Jesus. I thought it was an earthquake. But as soon as I get outside, I see tanks sitting with their cannons aimed at Godzilla! Jason thought it was cool as hell. The doc was out in the treet too, with his little sister. I've never seen someone with so many electronic parts, I don't even want to know what happened.. They said that the giant thing was a Groveback, and might accidentally step on us, but that's about it. "About it." Hah, I don't like the idea of getting stepped on. Jezz. i mean if steped on you it's be 'about it', nothing much to say after that. I think I was the only one really worried, Thomas and Jason played around with The Doc's sister. Well, she and Thomas played with Jason. Thomas, poor kid, tried to flirt with her, but she was more intreseted in pretending to be a monster and scareibng Jason. The doc had buisness he had to run and she stayed for maybe two hours, just playing with the boys. Anna asked if I'd had 'the talk' with Thomas. Jezz, I never even really thought oif it, I mean I never really had one. I was told, 'if you get her pregnate you have to man up and payt the abortion bill your self'. I'd like to think myt kid was a little bit better than that. I mean, he's fifteen and three times the man my old man was. Jezz, I mean, there are giant turtles walking through out back yard and she's worried about teenage hormones.
March 6, 2551: We received a message today, instead of a supply ship. The United Federation has fallen apart. Which means, we're not getting another supply shipment till next month. As always, Doc doesn't seem bothered, says we can easily sustain ourselves on this planet. He kinda' pisses me off sometimes. There's a war going on, and were down here with freaky dirt and skys and turrtles that could crush us, all alone. I don't think he all here sometimes. He's not the only one! Anna tried to have the talk with Thomas because I didn't. I was going to get me a samwhich when a** of a sudden "v****a". I paused and sure enough, the other genitaila was mantioned. I went to the kitchen, and tried to convince myself that hadn't just heard that. I looked at the mayo, and i couldn't do it. I slamed thed the stuff back in the fridge, marched down the hallway and kicked anna out of the boy's room.We talked, it was really uncomfortable at first. Then we started joking, and it was akward as hell. He told me to get out of his room and when Jason had to get the talk to let Mom do it. To add insult to injury, Doc's younger sister, Elsisia, came by the house. I yelled at her, "You, you can take your ovaries and get someone else's kid bent!" She looks at me like I said she had a third ear on her robotic elbow. She goes, "Mr. Bittering, I'm gay." "Oh, well, come on in then." And she did! Heh, hehhe, And she pointed out that nobody was really worried about the war, which worried her. She's a good kid, I'll nrever be able to look Thomas in the eye because of her, and I feel bad that the poor schmck fell for her, but she's a good kid. whoo-hehe oohh..
March 10, 2551: Quick question, why would there be almost as many soldiers as there are regular citizens? Come to think of it, the majority don't even stay in town. They're always making patrols, or at the four towers at the edge of town. I had to fix some of the wiring, it looked like something fried the CPUs on nearly all the repair droids. Like the boot wearing idiots put them next to an electromagnet or something.
I asked about them always being out of town. " Regular Procedural Patrols" they told me. Nothing 'regular' needs a drop ship and two fighter planes for back up.
March 15, 2551: Anna's getting sick of me complaining about the watch towers and the United Federation. She's been coughing something awful too. Doc said he wanted her to stay at the hospital. I asked him what was wrong and he didn't answer. I think, maybe, he didn't have one.
March 20, 2551: Elsisia came by to see if I neded help, I asked why she wasn't at the hospital helping her brother. She said her brother kicked her out. I didn't know they they live there. but, yeah, they do. Or did, he does, she doesn't. Thing is, there are exactly as many houses as there are families. There are houses being construvcted, but nothing habitable. She was really torn up about it, asked if she could crash with us. She'd asked a few oythers but they'd told her no. Presumably because she's gay. The major said he could clear a cot for her, but I can't ask a girl to shack up with the marrines, so she's staying in the den untill I figure something out.
March 22, 2551: I tried to talk to doc about his kid sister but I couldn't get much out of him, he was too busy. I'm sorry, I know he's got allot on his plate, but family come first. I told him that too, he looked at me."This is my family" He said like we we're talking about sports or some stupid s**t like that. I slugged him, broke his glasses, knocked him over one of the patient's beds. He didn't try anything. He just wiped his nose on his sleeve, left his glases on the floor. He says, with that same damn nonchallant tone, "If you had to choose between your wife and your kids, could you do it?" "I couldn't." He said, then went back to work. I couldn't stay there, I couldn't be in that bedlam. I couldn't see Anna pale and thin like that. I couldn't.
April 1, 2551: Anna's still in the hospital, an the boys have started coughing. It looks like a cold, but I'm not taking any chances. We're going to the hospital tomorrow. If this is a April Fools joke, I'll kill those brats.
April 2, 2551: I didn't like the look on the doc's face. He's not supposed to get worried. Some of the others are in the hospital too. I notice that the original colonist weren't there. The doc said it might be they developed an immunity when there were more Areophytes in the air. I asked him if my boys could stay with him at the hospital. He said they'd be better off at home.
April 10, 2551: Today, Jason couldn't get out of bed. Thomas started talking nonsense about "Bird Jets". The boys had a few good days, I thought they were finally getting better. Elsisia has been a big help in taking care of them, rarely leaves their side. I can't find time to record these things. With everyone sick, I'm now the electrician, plumber and general Mc-fix it for the town. Everything keeps frying like it's in a microwave oven. Damn it all, they need to get better soon. I need help with this. I need help.
April 30 2551: Revived a message today from the shattered remains of the United Federation. They won't be able to send another ship out for the next five years. I-I.. I can't even think right now I'm so pissed. What am I gonna do?
May 3, 2551 A few people got out of the hospital today. In boxes. Oh God, Anna, we never should've come here.
May 21, 2551: Jason is dead. I had to beg one of the farmers for his wife's spot in the grave yard. They keep digging new ones every day. But with the machines acting up it's all manual labor. Allot of people had to sweat for their final resting place. But, I think a boy needs to be buried by his mother.
May 24, 2551: I saw the Doc at the beach while I was fixing one of the fisherman's boats. He said something about us invading their lands and seas, but they still had the air. I asked who he was talking about. He said they talked with high frequency chirps, and something about electric bio-lights I didn't fully understand. I got pissed, I think he was messing with me. I asked Elsisia about it, but she mentioned the areophytes again, and explained to me that somee comunicated through biolights. But most they could manipulate their own electrical feild to comunicate. I asked her what she ment by 'comunicate' because she kept useing it. Stressing it. she said that it was nothing important, just a habit. That she ment it like dogs growl, and produce certain pheramones to let each other know certain things. There's something else though, she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than me.
June 30, 2551: The hospital's emptying out. This time with people on their feet. They look really sick, but they're up. It was like they all just decided to get better and waltzed out of the hospital. The doc looks confused as hell. But Thomas is back on his feet. Elisia walked with me to get him, and came back with us, but her legs failed out on the way home. Thomas carried her home omn his back. He had good days before, but even at his peak I don't think he could've carried a cyborg on his back. Those limbs aren't light... I just pray he doesn't relapse again.
July 3, 2551: A Jet Bird. I saw one while working on the tractors. It came out of no where, this huge thing, impaled one of the cows on it's beak then took off straight up. Then another came right over me, I swear it had to be doing over a hundred fifty miles an hour! They started tossing the cow back and forth while they darted around in the air. The cow kept crying out the first few times.. Then they let it drop, and gutted another one.. They carried that one off when a fighter jet showed up and started firring at them. There wasn't a prayer for the pilot to hit them, they were turning at insane angles.
The cow that they dropped didn't have a drop of blood left in it.
July 4 2551: The brass-boot boys finally cracked. They called everyone to the town hall and showed us images of monsters that were living on the planet. Animals that were suppose to die during the teraforming. The jet birds, Skewers, Arrowtounges, Raybacks. Most of them are liquavores. They either drink blood, or inject their prey with stuff to melt the insides, then suck it up. Turns out Spring is the time for new birth here too. Their numbers are jumping quickly. They explained they had a electro mgnet feild set up that pained the native animals. Like those 'underground' fences that peoiple use for their dogs, only stronger. The lines that set up this field got broken by that gaint turtle way back when. They've been struggleing to fix it ever since. Just like everything else electronic, they're tools have failed totaly.. So there's nothing keeping them out now..
I saw Thomas flinch when they showed the Skwers on the holoprojector. I asked him about it, said he'd seen them before. I asked where, and he didn't answer me.
June 1 2551: Still no word from the anyone off this rock.. We keep sending messages. I don't know what to do other than keep working. That's-I'm fine, except, when I'm not. I mean, when it's quite and still and there's no work to do and I find myself watching the sky. It's almost too much. Almost, just almost.
We've started building a fence, a wooden one seeing as all out metals from off world. Gotta' conserve, you know?
The soldiers are constantly moving now. Always disappearing into the forest, or over the sea an' grass lands. Some of the younger boys have started exploring the area when they think no ones watching. I caught Thomas and grounded him to his room, he hasn't been grounded since he was 12. What's getting into him? Springs over, what babies made it through are now going to be getting hungrier. With bigger stomachs. I'm glad I brought my Dad's old war cannon. Anna had laughed at me. God Anna, I hope the cloud your on isn't over this rock. I want you an Jason to see someplace nice, someplace very far away from here.
